to lucha, with love

1. tkdcollegegurl 09.22.11 / 12pm

   Yes, keep writing! BTW I’m back at my university club now, and after the second practice I already got a kick to my mouth. We weren’t wearing mouthguards or helmets since it was ‘light’ contact..but damn, it still sucked. The taste of blood is disgusting. My master @home always said “college kids have no control”..he meant more mentally but now im thinking physically too.. >.<

   Your posts are the only way I connect to that other world… they keep me goin'.. for now.

   PS: Damn, you're training with the one 9th dan in the US. gotta visit sometime. does he do most of the main instruction, or is it assistant instructors? or does it differ by rank/commitment.
2. nezua 09.22.11 / 1pm

   ouch! yeah…it takes a lot of control to be “light” when kicking to the head. definitely the mark of a well-trained martial artist.

   thank you for your words on my posts. that means a lot. i’m happy i can help you in some way, if only in sharing a similar view on martial arts.

   wow, is there only one 9th Dan in the US? i mean, i know he is a big deal in Korea (i’ve seen it firsthand when we were in Seoul, at Kukkiwon, and at Keimyung University), and i knew there are a limited number of Great Grand Masters, but didn’t know there was only one here. and yet, we all feel very lucky to be training under him. the town is lucky to have him.

   master lee does a lot of instruction himself. but certain classes more than others. that’s exactly why i’ve spent the last 14/15 months going to particular time slots. i wanted to build my black belt mostly under his direct tutelage. not to cast any dispersion at all on the black belts he has trained. they are fine and admirable martial artists and teachers, and they pass on his teachings well. but yanno…go to the source n all that!

   he also rewards effort. so if he sees you really sweating over time, putting in energy, showing up early, helping out…he will give you more energy in return. it seems the way it should be. i’ve written about that lately.

   in particular, he sat back when the Demo Team formed and let us go at it for a while. he’s seen this attempt a few times, but it fell apart. this is the first time a Demo Team has come this far, trained so tightly, and shown such results. he has rewarded us with personal appearances at practice (which is after hours), with having us do special demos every belt test, with setting up a special demo at the next tournament (!!) which is in washington. also, he has told us very recently that he plans to take the team to the national level of competition. this is a direct reflection of our love and dedication and work, so it means a ton to us that he is doing and saying these things.

   i’d say, overall, he puts in a lot of time personally. no, all ranks. even the white belts, and especially the children, whom he loves. (sang yung hae ae! “respect for elder, love for younger”) which, again, is a great honor.

   stop by! just let me know so i can say hi!
3. tkdcollegegurl 09.22.11 / 1pm

   I’m sure there are more 9ths that have commercialized or gotten more into the political side of things. But you’re lucky, I know that.

   At the timeslots- yeah, I’d probably do the same.

   National demo team sounds fun. Possibly a better experience than nat’l sparring. Then again, maybe my spirit is still a bit hurt about things right now.

   I’m in soCal atm. One day though..
4. nezua 09.22.11 / 1pm

   Well, it’s our dojang’s demo team, but when he says Nationals, he means both team poomsae, as well as individual sparring (or individual poomsae) at nationals. It’s just a statement about his pride in how much we’ve tightened as a team, and how he is recognizing that we have brought ourselves to a level at which he is willing to let us compete and represent the school. We are not allowed to compete or take part in any demo, or public display of our TKD without permission.
5. A 09.22.11 / 3pm

   Thanks Nez! BTW, I enjoy ALL of your writing. “Students” BLEW ME AWAY, for example. I always find that pretty much everything you write touches deep into something I can relate to on some level. Years ago, when I first found you, your writings on bi-racial identity and family touched deep, deep into the marrow of my psyche. Now, it is nice to go with you further on your journey-the path of the warrior! Also, as a former girl and now parent, I really appreciate reading your perspective on being a father to young girls, especially now with the MA angle. It is so good you are doing this for your daughters!
6. nezua 09.22.11 / 3pm

   thank you, A. that’s great to know. i definitely appreciate your sharing these paths with me. it makes the journey a bit easier, the paths a bit brighter. thank you for the feedback. see ya around!

de

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